The present invention relates generally to the field of sublimation transfers, and more particularly to an improved method and apparatus for applying heat transferable decals to shaped containers or other similar articles having a handle, such as mugs or cups.
To decorate a mug a sublimation transfer is placed in direct contact with a mug which has been coated with a polymeric coating. A device presses part of the sublimation transfer against the mug. The mug is then heated to a temperature at least as high as sublimation temperature of the dyes constituting the image to be printed. The dies vaporize and their immediate absorption into the polymeric coating on the mug transfers the image from the sublimation transfer to the mug.
But the prior sublimation methods and apparatus suffer from the disadvantage of being unable to print an image or design on the entire outer surface of a mug when the mug includes a handle. More particularly, the prior art techniques and equipment cannot print around or under the handle of a mug, because the handle itself precludes conventional sublimation transfers and cuffs from being applied around and under the handle.
Further, when the cups or mugs are not cylindrical tubes with vertical walls, but are instead tapered cups with wider or narrow bottoms than the tops, the sublimation equipment does not apply a sufficient or uniform pressure to work properly, and the sublimation transfers leave an even larger gap of unprinted material in the area of the handle.
Moreover, sublimation layers are typically applied one at a time by placing the mug and sublimation layer into a press that is specially configured for a specific mug, and that compresses the layer against the mug—one at a time.
There is thus a need for an improved way to apply sublimation transfers to containers, and a need for containers with sublimation transfer images around the entire circumference of the mug, including beneath the handles.